In Mexico, Day of the Dead is celebrated each year at the beginning of November to welcome the souls of the deceased as they return to the land of the living. It is also called "Noche de Ofrendas a las Animas" or simply "Muertos".

The villages surrounding Lake Patzcuaro in Michoacan are particularly known for the elaborate ceremonies conducted by their largely Purepechan indigenous population.

The current Day of the Dead celebrations are marked by religious syncretism, derived from concepts brought by the Spanish colonizers blended with traditional Purepechan rituals.

If each village celebrates these days in its own way, each has the same purpose: to receive and nourish the returning souls and to interact with them again.

Large altars are created at home, at the cemetery or both, to welcome the souls of the recently departed. They are an array of sugar figures, fruit, candles, copal incense, anthropomorphic figures made of bread, photos of and objects once dear to the departed. Water is offered to mitigate the thirst from the journey and salt is presented as a purifying element.

On the following day, the home altars are partly dismantled and carried to the grave where the family will hold a vigil until night.

The souls are guided by the scent, energy and light from the profusion of bright orange marigolds (cempasuchiles). Their paths are illuminated by hundreds of candles. Arches clad in marigolds offer them a way into this world. These are usually a cross shape (representing the body) with a symbolic rectangular entryway representing the four cardinal points. In some communities, each member of the family adds its own arch to the grave of the departed, creating a large open gate. Diverse objets, all intended to please the "anima", fruit, candies, bottles are hung on the arch.

The graves are always festooned with flowers, petals, baskets and trays full of food and drinks. Anything to make the returning soul feel welcome at home.

Stories are told, memories are shared. Children listen, play, sleep next to the grave. The ancestors are remembered and honored. It is a tranquil and serene ritual.